Folding trays that can serve either as a conventional serving tray or as a bed tray, whichever the user desires, have been known for many years. Certain types of bathtub trays have also been known. However, no folding tray that combines all three functions, as the present invention does, is disclosed in the prior art.
Moreover, the mechanisms of the folding trays of the types disclosed in prior art U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,138,156 and 1,709,928 to produce folding legs have been unnecessarily complicated. The hinged legs disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 823,699 are of simple construction, but do not have completely out-of-way positions, nor are they held securely against accidental displacement from the partially closed positions they do have underneath the tray.
Trays adapted solely for use as bathtub trays are either positioned too high above the sides of the tub to be convenient for the user when seated in the tub (as in U.S. Pat. No. 1,567,045), or are not extensible (as in U.S. Pat. No. 4,053,954). If an attempt were made to use the extensible tray of U.S. Pat. No. 1,257,843 as a bathtub tray, the tray would again be positioned too high above the side walls of the tub for the convenience of the user, and would in addition not rest securely upon the tub side walls.
The tray of the present invention avoids these shortcomings of prior art trays, as well as providing a novel combination of a serving tray, bed tray and bathtub tray.